Aware
by premonitioner
Summary: Once more, thought Toushiro. Just give me one more chance to make things right. Hitsuhina
1. Karma

**I was thinking, there aren't many Hitsuhina fics out there. Well, there are, but not many with substance. One shots here and there get tiring after a while, so, I decided to make a multi-chapter fic. Hopefully I'll finish this one. ehe. **

**Aware; A hitsuhina fic by CherryIzzy, who is seriously contemplating changing her name from cherryizzy because it sounds crap, doesn't it?**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Bleach, I would have made Hitsugaya taller. **

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If only she would stop reading her horoscopes out to him, maybe _he_ at least could get some paperwork done. But, _no_, his idiotic fuku-taichō just had to be 'in-tune' with the human world and let him catch up on this month's possible happenings. Apparently, Tōshirō was going to get lucky in love. So, he kicked her out. It didn't take much; just a roar of 'MATSUMOTO' and the busty woman was gone, like the ash of her _Haineko_. If only it were just as easy to get her to do her share of the god damned piles of paperwork piling up in the Tenth Division headquarters office.

Finally, some peace and quiet, to try and get the Hollow vanquishing sorted, the names of the souls they had passed on this week, and possible new entries and transfers to the squad. Almost all of the transfers were being requested from the Fifth Squad, under the circumstances that they were 'uncertain of their future in the Squad'. Tōshirō snorted cynically. They just meant they were too afraid to go on without their traitorous taichō and a fuku-taichō who was not in her right…Tōshirō stopped his thoughts right there.

Had he not vowed to himself that he would kick the shit out of anyone who badmouthed Hinamori Momo? And here he was, about to break his own vow of being behind Momo every step of the way to her recovery. Even if she hadn't woken up yet, and Unohana's requests for him to talk to her were futile, he had told her once, and he would tell her a thousand times. Not the way he was now. Maybe, one day, when he had become stronger, he would approached the dreaded halls of the Fourth Squads healing quarters, and walk into his best friends room and call out her name, and maybe she would respond.

Maybe. Tōshirō sighed and threw down his pen. Leaning back in his chair, he covered his face with his hands, running them through his hair and closing his eyes. Was it too much to hope that she would wake up on her own, fighting for herself, and wanting revenge on her beloved taicho? Probably. And anyway, hope, luck, _karma_, whatever you wanted to call it, was never on the poor kid genius' side, always working against him. And him always working against it. From the moment he had promised to protect Momo, he was always working against everything. He rose through the grades in the Shinigami academy, graduating early; he had become a captain in the Gotei 13 Squads within a matter of days, and from then on continued to uncover the plot against Soul Society. That was when Lady Luck smacked him in the face with her cruel Fan of Fate. It had almost cost him his own life, and the life of the one person he truly cared about.

And then the sadistic lady had left him here. Hiding among his paperwork, nursing an extremely painful headache and a bruised ego to boot. Contemplating whether or not to go visit his best friend, and just ask her to wake up. It's what Tōshirō felt like doing from time to time. Just shunpo'ing to the Fourth Division as fast as his reiatsu would take him and begging, pleading with Momo to stop torturing him and open her eyes and say his name.

Sighing once more, Tōshirō pushed back his chair and stood. He needed to take a walk. It was almost winter out, it would be cold. Good. If it was even the slightest bit warm, he would just whip out _Hyōrinmaru_ and change the weather so maybe it would snow. Although, Ukitake-taicho may come out and force snacks into his arms for making the world '_shiro_'ified. That man was beyond clinically insane when it came to the colour white.

So, just a walk. In the cold. That sounded great. He needed to clear his head, from whatever was plaguing his mind. Which was mainly the bastard Aizen and his bastard follower Gin. He didn't give two flying monkeys if the foxface had saved Matsumoto's life once, that was a long time ago, and she was more than perfectly fine now. Speak of the devil…

"Taicho! Hitsugaya-taicho!" The strawberry-blonde was calling his name, and Tōshirō turned his head to watch her sprint breathlessly down the walkways of their division. She stopped before him, panting slightly as she bent over to try and catch her breath. She was holding a Jigoku Chou on her index finger, and Tōshirō's eyes were fixed on it. "Hinamori-chan…she…"

"Spit it out, Matsumoto!"

"She woke up sir, and she's asking for you!"

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**Well...reviews?**


	2. White Flash

**Thank you for those who read the previous chapter, those who added it to their story alert list and those who reviewed! -bows-**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Bleach, I wouldn't have given Orihime such big boobs.**

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Tōshirō didn't think he'd ever run faster in his life. At this point in time, he could give Shihouin Yoruichi a run for her money, even with her Flash Goddess title. He left Matsumoto behind him, calling his name and asking him to slow down, that she wasn't finished with the message. 

Did it really matter what else the Jigoku Chou had to say, Momo was awake! She was awake and alive and well and asking for him! Tōshirō never felt better in his life.

At this moment in time, leaping over the roofs of the Seireitei buildings, like a white flash in the sky (and somewhere in the Thirteenth Division Quarters, Ukitake Jūshirō was throwing a party to celebrate the coming of 'The White Flash'), Tōshirō was on a one-track mind. Get to Fourth Division Quarters as soon as possible.

And he did it, in record time, if there ever was a record for getting from the Tenth Division to the Fourth in fewer than twenty seconds. He cursed the previous Tenth captain for not being the Fifth or Third Division captain.

It would have made the journey a hell of a lot faster.

Bursting through the doors, he shunpo'ed through the building, leaving startled Fourth Division member's in his wake, scattering their papers and ruffling their robes, and even knocking one dozy looking long haired guy over as he made his way to the room that Momo was in.

Even though Tōshirō had only been in the room one actual time, he had committed the route to his memory, having taken it so many times before. This time, he would open that door and welcome her.

Except, this time, Unohana-taichō blocked his way.

"I had a feeling that you would not stay long enough to listen to the Jigoku Chou's message." Tōshirō took a step back at the Fourth Division captain towered over him, a soft look on her face to accompany the soft tone of her voice.

"So I stayed here to personally stop you, and tell you the rest of the message. Hinamori Momo-san has awoken and is asking for the presence of her taichō." Tōshirō felt his blood run cold.

He could hear a ruckus being made behind the sliding doors that Unohana was blocking, the voices of several unidentified people trying to calm down the one voice he recognised. The voice that was interrupted with sobs and wails, and screams of 'Aizen-taichō!' Unohana cleared her throat, regaining Tōshirō's attention.

"Upon being told that her taichō betrayed Soul Society, she became hysterical and unmanageable, asking for Hitsugaya-taichō, wanting 'Shiro-chan' to tell my Squad members that Aizen-san was not a traitor. Hitsugaya-taichō, would you do me the favour of calming Hinamori-san down? I would rather not use a tranquiliser on the poor girl. She has been through quite enough."

And Unohana was gone, leaving a stoic Tōshirō standing staring at the same spot where she had been. The only thing that was running through his head now was 'She's delusional. Lost it. And I can't do anything.'

The nurses holding a struggling Momo down collapsed under the Tenth Captains freezing cold spirit pressure, taking the Fifth's vice-captain with them. They looked to the open sliding door where the scowling boy genius stood.

One look at his face sent them out of the room, leaving a stunned Momo sitting on the floor. Tōshirō stiffened considerably as Momo leapt from the floor, throwing her arms around his shoulders and burying her face into his neck.

"Shiro-chan, they keep saying Aizen-taichō betrayed us, but he can't have, Aizen-taichō isn't like that! I know, I'm his fuku-taichō, I know him best!"

He wanted to tell her that he _had_ betrayed them, he _was_ like that, and that she _didn't_ know him best. But here she was, crying into his shoulder, her arm dripping with blood from where she had (possibly unintentionally) ripped out her IV line, and he couldn't say a word.

It was all he could do to not crying himself, so, he opted for wrapping his own arms around the (still) taller Momo and 'shushing' her gently.

"Shiro-chan, tell them it's not true!" Momo wailed in his ear, sobbing harder. "Tell them that it was all Gin-taichō's fault, Aizen-taichō...Gin-taicho made him do it!"

Tōshirō wished her could say that. He wished he could blame it all on Gin. He could have defeated Gin, if he tried. But Aizen…no one knew anything about him. Except that he was more than jaw-droppingly powerful.

He had stopped a Kurosaki Ichigo in Bankai with a single finger. A Kurosaki Ichigo, when in Bankai, could defeat Kuchiki Byakuya also in Bankai, and everyone in Soul Society knew that _Senbonzakura Kageyoshi _was probably the bitchiest Bankai ever. Tōshirō was terrified at even the thought of Aizen's Bankai.

"I don't know what to do… Shiro-chan…" There she was, whispering the same words to him as she had when she was pointing _Tobuime_ at him. He didn't know what to do either.

"Don't call me Shiro-chan, Bed-wetter-Momo…" he whispered back, earning a hiccoughy sob from the girl in his arms.

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**Reviews mean better chapters :3**

**And whoever guesses the guy who got knocked over gets a cookie and an Izzy hug. (They're reallly good, I swear!)**


	3. Shatter

**Congrats to ****fastXattack, for being the only one to even try to guess who got knocked over. –sigh- No one even reads authors notes anymore. Ohhhhh weeeeell!**

**Also – getting really tired of putting the 'ō's over Tōshirō. And of my stupid spell check telling me it's wrong. What does it know, it doesn't watch Bleach. Anyways. Not gonna do that anymore. Yes, that's right. Me over good grammar. –grin-**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Bleach, I would understand the Banana + Renji joke. **

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He didn't get it. He had thought if she woke up, she'd be declaring revenge on Aizen. Revenge on the man who tricked her so well that even when the truth was revealed that she didn't believe it. Revenge on the man that almost killed her.

Instead, she was begging him to tell the rest of Soul Society that it was all Ichimaru Gin's fault, and that her Aizen-taicho had been tricked, fooled by the evil Fox Captain. He just couldn't register it, just like she couldn't register that Aizen had betrayed her.

Toshiro stared at her while she lay in the bed calmly, letting a Fourth Squad officer re-insert the IV line into her arm. It was madness. She had let him guide her back into the bed, call a nurse in, and she was just sitting there, letting tears run down her cheeks and a stranger stick a line into a very important vein. Had she gone mad?

Toshiro couldn't even begin to think of an answer. He nodded slightly to the nurse who bowed at him, and watched her walk out of the room, closing the sliding door behind her.

"Ne…Shi-Hitsugaya-kun…"

Toshiro sighed. He wasn't going to bother.

"Nani."

Momo fidgeted, wiping the bottom of her chin where the salty water had started to collect. Toshiro watched it lie on her hand and slowly evaporate.

"Say it, Momo," Toshiro muttered under his breath, as Momo glanced at him, no doubt surprised at the sudden use of her given name. She let out a whimper.

"I want Aizen-taicho."

There it was. He knew it was coming.

"Aizen is gone, Hinamori."

And there was the scowl and the tidal wave of tears that had been present only moments before.

"He can't be! He's not dead, I saw – "

Her eyes widened as Toshiro interrupted her, his own eyes staring to the side. Avoiding hers.

"Aizen isn't dead. Definitely not."

His icy tone of voice surprised even him, and he almost ran himself through with Hyourinmaru. Idiot. Her sobs were racking her body and sending him into the very depths of his conscience to kick his own ass for making her cry.

"Can you bring him to me, Hitsugaya-kun?"

It's Hitsugaya-taicho.

"No."

It's Hitsugaya-_taicho_.

"Why not?"

A taicho.

"Because he's _gone_."

Like Aizen.

"But where?! Bring him here."

"I can't do that."

"Hitsugaya-kun, bring him to me! Or tell me where he is! I want to see him!"

Aizen broke Momo's heart once. Her tears at his death and now were proof of that.

"You can't go to Hueco Mundo."

A fuku-taicho's heart was supposed to be strong.

"Hue…Hueco Mundo…but…"

A taicho's heart even stronger.

"Hueco Mundo. You can't go. I won't let you."

Why could he hear something cracking inside his chest?

Momo stared at him with furious eyes. She wanted her captain, and she wanted him now. Toshiro could see that. Her hands were shaking, and her head dropped. Something on a monitor was beeping loudly.

"Get. Out. Hitsugaya-_taicho_."

He turned and walked out of the room, closing the sliding door behind him. From the other side of the door he could hear an anguished scream and the sound of something shattering.

No. The shattering was coming from inside his chest.

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**Oh, it's so emo…no mentions of Ukitake the Shiro Enthusiast this chapter. Oh dear. I'll have to make up for it in later chapters. **

**And, was it just me, or was that very short? **


	4. Fix

**-is mega happy- I'm so glad that people are reviewing. Probably most reviews I've got for one single fic in such a short time. Please keep supporting me! –bows-**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Bleach, Hitsugaya would be mine. –smile- **

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"Taicho?"

Toshiro sighed. Matsumoto had been speaking softly in his presence all week. He guessed Unohana had told her what happened (The woman had eyes and ears everywhere in her building, it was unnatural), and his fuku-taicho had been tiptoeing around him for the past few days.

It was getting rather sickening. Toshiro let out a heavy sigh as he looked up from his desk.

"What is it, Matsumoto?" he asked, not in a very good mood. Wait. He was never in a very good mood.

"Ano…well…I was talking to Unohana-taicho today. And – "

"Not interested."

"Taicho!"

Toshiro ignored Matsumoto's indignant tone, and went back to signing papers. Whatever the Fourth Captain had to say to him, she could come here and say it herself.

"Matsumoto, if you don't stop getting into my personal life and ignoring your paperwork, I will see that you are put in the presence of Vice-Captain Kusajishi, a very large pile of sweets and various sharp objects. You will be tied to a chair."

It was safe to say, Matsumoto shut up and returned to her paperwork.

Toshiro let out another sigh, and blinked as Matsumoto threw her paperwork into the air, turned round and slammed her hands on his desk.

"Taicho, just go see her already! It's been almost a week, and Unohana-taicho was saying she's much better!"

Toshiro's face hardened. Matsumoto glared at him in return. She was obviously as tired of playing tippy toe around him as he was as tired of her treating him differently. He rose to his feet, trying to make himself look more authoritarian-like.

"I don't think you get it, Matsumoto. She doesn't want to see _me_," Toshiro growled at her, their faces level and their eyebrows furrowed.

It was in their nature for both of them to be stubborn. Toshiro suspected Matsumoto would bring out her sword if it weren't for the fact that he could and would kick her ass. And she knew that.

So she backed down first. Leaning back, the busty woman scowled down at him.

"Taicho, if you don't go to her, I will bring her to you."

Toshiro slammed his fist down.

"No, Matsumoto!"

Matsumoto shrugged.

"Fine. HINAMORI-CHAN!" she yelled at the top of her voice, calling out the name of the one Toshiro had been avoiding all week.

Momo stepped into the doorway, head bowed and her arms bandaged up past her elbow.

"Hina…mori…" Toshiro whispered breathlessly, sitting back down in his chair as Momo shuffled into the office, egged on by Matsumoto's nods and mumbles of approval. Matsumoto turned to Toshiro, leaning across the desk to whisper in his ear.

"You will talk to her and you will tell her what happened. She won't believe anyone but you." And with a flourish of her pink scarf, she was gone.

Momo stood awkwardly in the centre of the room, staring at what seemed to be a very interesting spot on the floor, and Toshiro just leant back into his chair, staring at the sheets of paper scattered across his desk.

"What happened to your arms?" He broke the silence.

Momo fidgeted.

"Tell me, Momo."

She lifted her head in shock. It was the second time he had used her given name.

"I smashed the window."

"Why?"

"I wanted to get out."

"To see Aizen."

Momo nodded.

"You're out now. Why don't you go? I won't stop you."

It was the truth. He didn't have the energy to stop her from hurting herself anymore. Momo shook her head.

"I want to make things better with us."

Now it was Toshiro's turn to lift his head in shock. The pain he had been feeling in his chest became more apparent.

In the area where the shattering noise had first come from, there was now a rattling sound, like glass being shaken around in a paper bag.

"I don't like it like this, Hitsugaya-kun…" Momo mumbled, looking once again at that oh-so interesting area in the floor.

And Toshiro could have killed Ukitake-taicho for ruining the moment.

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**Don't kill me? –whimpers and hides-**

**And thanks to my ever present buddy (except when she's at some stupid thing), Shanny for BETA'ing this. :3**


	5. First Name Basis AKA  Shortness

**Aiiieee! –hides under shield- I'm sorry! I just wanted to do a cliffy, and having Ukitake do it seemed the best way! And sorry for the uber short chapter, I was low on muse and wanted to keep up my very good record of updating everyday! This one will be longer, since I have free time, because last few nights I've been pushed for time with homework. AND SO SORRY FOR THE SHORTNESS OF THIS. My friend is going through a bit of trouble, so, yeah...**

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When the tall, sickly white haired taicho came barging into the doorway, Toshiro could have drawn Hyourinmaru, smacked Ukitake around Soul Society ten times and then gone Bankai on his ass and there would have been a need for a new captain in the Thirteenth Division.

That's how simply furious he was.

"Ah, Shiro-chan, I was just wonder- …oh…am I interrupting something?"

Damn right he was interrupting something! Toshiro wondered how he could wipe that oh-so innocent smile off Ukitake's face without spilling any blood.

"No need to bow to me, Hinamori-san!" Ukitake exclaimed happily, waving her bowing figure away. A vein throbbed in Toshiro's temple.

"Ukitake-taicho."

The tuberculosis sufferer grinned at him.

"Yes?"

"What did you want?"

"Oh, I can't seem to remember right now!" Ukitake called quite cheerfully, disappearing behind the door and Toshiro could hear him humming as he walked away from the door.

Momo let out a tiny nervous giggle, and Toshiro sighed.

"I swear that man lives to make my life difficult. I have a strong feeling he and Matsumoto team up and think of things to get on my nerves…" Toshiro grumbled under his breath, leaning on his desk.

"Hitsugaya-kun?"

Toshiro looked up to find Momo looking at him hesitantly, and he blinked.

"Why don't you believe me about Aizen-taicho?"

He could have stabbed himself. She had brought it back to Aizen. Whatever happened to wanting things to be better between them?

"The question is, Hinamori, why don't you believe me about Aizen?"

"Aizen-_taicho_."

Toshiro was taken aback. She had corrected him in a rather matter-of-fact manner, as if they were talking about the weather, and not about someone who had sliced them both up.

"How come you call him taicho and not me?"

Momo looked taken aback now. The way she stared at him in surprise led Toshiro to assume that she didn't actually know.

"Ah…I…I've...I've known you longer?"

She was saying it as if she thought he knew the right answer.

Toshiro just stared at her.

"I don't know, Hitsugaya-kun."

He sighed, and rested his chin of his palm.

"Sit, Momo."

She refused.

"That's the third time."

Toshiro raised an eyebrow.

"Third time what?"

Momo's lips formed a pout.

"How come you ask me to call you Hitsugaya-taicho when you call me by my first name?" Momo asked angrily, and Toshiro blinked.

He had been calling her by her first name? What?

"No I haven't."

"Yes you have."

"I think I would have noticed if I started calling you by your first name, Momo."

"You've been varying, but you just called me Momo again!"

He had? Toshiro was confused. Momo was getting agitated, a combination of Toshiro avoiding the Aizen question, them not being the way they were before, and him not realising he was calling her by her given name. He had a very strong feeling that by the end of the day she would storm out of the Tenth Division Quarters.

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**It's very short again…-headdesk- I'm sorry guys, but, I'm lacking the muse. Maybe more reviews? –sneaky grin- **

**Any UK people reading, review and tell me if you watched Children In Need last night. What you think of it? **


	6. Eavesdropping

**I'm getting mixed reactions to the shortness of the chapters. So, I'll…just do what I can, okay, guys? **

**Disclaimer: If I owned Bleach, Ichigo would have kissed Rukia already.**

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"I'm telling you, you just called me Momo _again_! Thirteenth time, Hitsugaya-kun!"

This had been going on for about an hour or so. If one had timed them. Of course, Matsumoto had. Did you really expect her to go off when there was definite gossip for the Shinigami Women's Association? However, Matsumoto did not interrupt the rather amusing argument between her captain and his best friend.

"Momo, I know I would have not started calling you by your first name if you hadn't started calling me by mine!"

"For the fourteenth time, you called me Momo! You said it just there now, Shiro-chan!"

"It's _Hitsugaya-taicho_!"

"Stop being such a hypocrite!"

"I am not being a hypocrite, Momo!"

At this moment in time, they were both on their feet, yelling at the top of their voices with their faces red with anger.

Might I also add that they had been going around in this circle for the duration of the argument?

"I give up! I can't win with you, Hinamori!"

Momo crossed her arms and looked at him triumphantly.

"So, when you lose you go back to calling me Hinamori, huh?"

"No, because I haven't lost, I'll go back to calling you Bed-Wetter-Momo"

It was safe to say Momo saw red.

"SHIRO-CHAN!"

Toshiro smirked at her.

"You lost, Bed-Wetter-Momo."

Momo's face was flushed, and her breathing heavy. Toshiro's smirk aggravated her even more, and she was scowling heavily.

"Shiro-chan…"

Toshiro didn't like her tone of voice. It sounded too innocent.

"…what?"

Momo pointed to the window behind him. Toshiro made the mistake of turning around.

Next thing he knew, he was pinned to the floor, face down and attempting to wriggle out of Momo's grasp. While he had his back turned she had leapt across the desk and tackled him to the floor.

"Hinamori! Get off!"

"Ah, it's back to Hinamori, is it? You need to make up your mind, Shiro-chan. And Anyway, I'm not getting off until you say that I am the winner."

"I am the winner."

"Shiro-chan!"

Toshiro sighed. They were much too old to still be doing this. When they were younger, Momo took advantage of the fact that she was bigger than him, but now that they were nearly the same height and there was definitely a power difference, Toshiro smirked.

"Woa-hey, hey! St-stop! Ah! Shiro-chan!"

So, here he was. On his hands and knees, crawling along the floor, unable to get up since…well, Momo _was_ sitting on his back. Unable to get off without falling to the floor.

As he was on his hands and knees, Toshiro was able to crawl underneath that coffee table. Momo, however.

Well, she fell flat on her back, as Toshiro's head popped on the other side of the coffee table, and he somehow made his way past her without showing the triumphant smirk on his face.

He was sitting at his desk when Momo dragged herself off the floor to lean her chin on the top of the desk, glaring at him from the other side of the desk.

"That was mean."

Toshiro put his chin in his palm and raised an eyebrow lazily.

"What was?"

The ferocity in Momo's glare intensified.

"Forget it."

"Lets."

The silence that followed was unbearable. In the minutes that it lasted, Matsumoto was bored.

In the minutes it lasted, Momo and Toshiro simply stared at each other.

In the minutes it lasted, Toshiro wanted to knock something over to make some noise. Something. To break the silence.

He thanked the King when Momo started talking.

"Shiro-chan…"

"Hitsugaya-taicho."

"_Whatever_. Do you think Aizen will ever come back?"

"Yes."

Momo stood up in shock.

"Really?!"

Toshiro closed his eyes.

"He'll come back to destroy Soul Society."

Momo sank back down to her knees. Tears were already forming.

"I'm starting to think he'll never come back to me…"

Toshiro was starting to think that Momo would never come back to him.

"Shiro-chan?"

"How many times do I have to correct you?"

"Always once more."

Toshiro had to smile.

"How long do you think it takes for a broken heart to heal?"

"As long as it takes."

"You're being vague."

"You're being annoying."

"Meanie!"

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**Okay. WAS THAT TOO OUT OF CHARACTER?! –tears hair out- I THINK IT WAS! AND MY GOD DAMNED BETA READER ISN'T ONLINE AND I CAN'T NOT UPDATE, SO, TELL ME, PLEASE, AND I'LL FIX THIS CHAPTER AND THEN PUT UP A NEW ONE!**


	7. Reigning Silence

**Now, less of the cutesy-fun stuff and actually onto the sad angsty emoness that is HitsuHina. –grin- **

**Disclaimer: If I owned Bleach, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction. **

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"But…really, Hitsugaya-kun –"

"_Taicho_."

"_I get it already_! Give over! I'm not calling you taicho."

Toshiro sighed. One could always keep trying.

"Hitsugaya-kun…why do you think he'll come back to destroy Soul Society? Aizen-taicho isn't like that. He's a good man…"

"No, Hinamori, he's not. That's what he wanted you to believe, what he wanted everyone to believe. Aizen is a madman."

"But he's not! He was always kind to me, made me feel welcome! He hated traitors, and those who went against Seireitei! He would never lie to us!"

There was no changing her, Toshiro mused. She was stubborn, as was he.

"Hinamori. He lied to us about never lying to us. You saw him. He faked his own death."

"But he told me himself, that was something he had to do!"

"To stop people from suspecting that he was the one who would betray us all, because a dead man can't betray anyone!"

"I don't believe you, Hitsugaya-kun!"

"Of course you don't. That's how well he fooled you."

Momo looked away, her jaw set and her eyebrows brought together in a scowl worthy of Ichigo Kurosaki.

"He didn't."

"Then who wrote the letter telling you that I was the one who killed him?"

Tears fell.

"I…I…I don't know…but it can't have been him! He wouldn't want us to hurt each other!"

"He wanted exactly that. It's called killing two birds with one stone. We were the birds."

Neither of them spoke as Momo sniffled, wiping away her tears as they came.

"I'm sorry…for trying to hurt you back then…but, Hitsugaya-kun, you're hurting me now…"

Toshiro sighed again.

"You think I don't know that?"

Momo looked up at him, her eyes shining with tears as they reflected the surprise on her face.

"Why…would you want…?"

"Because you can't see that you're hurting me, and the only way for you to see it and to stop you is to tell you the truth. And that truth hurts."

Neither of them spoke again as Momo sank to her knees, disappearing from Toshiro's view, blocked by the desk. He could hear her sobbing.

"Why…why did this happen? Why did it turn out like this?"

Toshiro rested his head on his folded arms, leaning down to his desk, staring straight ahead.

"I don't know…I just wish it hadn't…" he mumbled, doubting Momo could hear him.

For the third time in a few minutes, silence reigned. Until Matsumoto appeared at the doorway, her eyes downcast and her face empathetic.

He watched her make her way towards Momo, and as she knelt down to her. He lifted his eyebrows in surprise when the busty woman engulfed Momo in a hug.

"Hinamori-chan, it's time for you to go back to your room. Unohana-taicho said you couldn't be out more than a few hours…"

Momo answered with burying her head into Matsumoto's and sobbing harder.

Matsumoto looked up at her taicho, her eyes asking him 'What do I do?'

Toshiro stood and walked around his desk.

"Come on Momo, let's get you back to Unohana…" he whispered, prying Momo's fingers out away from the folds of Matsumoto's kimono that she had a death grip on.

So, with Momo leaning heavily on Toshiro, still sobbing her heart out, and Matsumoto bringing up the rear, the three shunpo'ed to Fourth Division Quarters.

-

Matsumoto bowed to Unohana-taicho as the woman with braids left Momo's room. They had moved her. She was no longer surrounded by beeping machines, and Toshiro took note of the bars over the pane-less window.

It was like a prison.

"Taicho?"

Toshiro looked up at Matsumoto.

"I'm going ahead."

He watched her leave, and his eyes travelled to the girl who had cried herself to sleep. How many times had she done that this week? Toshiro didn't even want to know.

He sighed, and closed his eyes.

"Don't keep doing this to me, Momo…" he whispered to the sleeping figure and leant over her.

When he had closed sliding door behind him and made his way back to his own Division, he didn't know that Momo's eyes snapped open and her hand covered her mouth.

And he didn't know that Momo knew that he had kissed her.

* * *

**-grin- That make you guys happy or what? **


	8. Towels

**Eek! I'm sorry I didn't update yesterday, guys, but I had so much homework that I didn't have time to even think about writing a new chapter! I hope what is in this chapter will make you forget that I was even a day late, and hopefully it won't happen again. Hopefully. **

**Disclaimer: If I owned Bleach, we would know more about Zaraki and Yachiru.**

* * *

Matsumoto was worried. And she didn't often get as worried as she was now. Because she was really concerned now. For her taicho. She was seriously considering asking him what the hell what he was talking about. 

Let's rewind, shall we?

When Matsumoto arrived back at the Tenth Division from leaving Momo at the Fourth Division, she waited for her taicho to come back. And she waited. And waited. And waited. And then she went to bed, because she decided that he was big enough to take care of himself and three in the morning was no time to be awake if one wanted to stay healthy.

So when Matsumoto dragged herself out of bed that afternoon, she was confused. Her taicho would not allow her to sleep until this time. Especially not if it was raining, because that would mean he would be in an even worse mood. So, at this point she was getting worried.

Until she found him standing outside their quarters, letting the rain soak him through, his eyes red rimmed from lack of sleep and shivering like a dog in a thunderstorm. He didn't even notice when she ran to him, sticking an umbrella up to protect him from the rain and throwing a towel over his head.

And he wouldn't move without her having to push him in, his feet moving where his brain didn't even comprehend. He sat down beside the coffee table where some mats were normally placed, his body shaking with the cold it was suffering, his head not even noticing.

The towel she had wrapped him kept falling off, and in the end, Matsumoto resorted to getting all the warm towels she could find and piling them on top of him to keep him from falling into pneumonia while she made tea.

Even that she had to press into his fingers. She watched him stare at it with clouded eyes and she frowned. What could have made him so…out of it?

She turned to get him a clean set of clothes. Honestly, when she had been bumped up to position of fuku-taicho, she was told she would be under the boy genius, that she wouldn't have much responsibility. They didn't tell her she would have to baby sit him.

"Matsumoto."

She whirled around, almost dropping the tea pot in her hand as Toshiro spoke for the first time since she had found him.

"H-hai?" she asked, stepping forward, her eyebrows creasing with worry.

"Why am I soaking wet?"

Once again, she almost dropped the tea pot. Say what?

"You don't know, sir?"

"If I knew, would I be asking you?" was his sarcastic reply. Matsumoto could have thrown the tea pot at his head.

"You're soaking wet because you've been standing out in the rain."

"Why?"

"I don't know, sir. I was hoping you could tell me."

Toshiro was silent for a while. Matsumoto busied with putting the tea pot away and getting him a change of clothes. When she brought it to him, he told her to get out. She scowled at him.

"You expect me to get changed in front of you, Matsumoto?" he monotoned, peeling his sticky captains haori away from his kimono and hakama. Matsumoto waited outside while he changed. He slid the door open and told her to come in.

"Matsumoto."

She turned to him.

"When did you realise you were in love with Ichimaru?"

Matsumoto needed to sit down.

And that's how we got to this situation.

"T-taicho?"

"You heard me."

"I…I wasn't…"

"Don't give me that bull."

She was frozen to the spot, and he was staring her dead in the eye, his face deathly serious. She would have teased him about looking like a grandpa at his age, if the situation wasn't so…unnatural.

"Why do you ask?"

"Don't answer a question with another question. Tell me."

Matsumoto fidgeted. Toshiro would have said that it was the only time she was nervous in front of him. It probably was.

"I…I…don't know. It was gradual."

Toshiro nodded, making his way past her while she stared at her hands folded before her. She turned when she heard him sit down at his desk.

"Why?"

He looked at her, resting his cheek on his palm and looking as if he were about to burst into a grin, or tears. His expression was so peculiar that Matsumoto couldn't decide.

"No reason."

His expression was too innocent. Her taicho was never innocent. Not even when he was asleep, since the one time he fell asleep at his desk, Matsumoto was terrified to note that his eyebrows were still in that ever present scowl.

"Taicho…you're lying…" She raised an eyebrow at him, a corner of her lip twitching.

"I don't think you can prove that, Matsumoto." He was smirking at her.

Scary.

"Taicho, if I didn't know any better I'd say you're in love…"

His smirk grew.

"Now, what makes you think that?"

Matsumoto's jaw dropped as he mouth two words to her. A name.

* * *

**I didn't like this. Not enough Momo. Hopefully tomorrow's will be...better...**


	9. Give Me Candy

**Once again, homework rules my life. –is going to do nothing this weekend but sleep- And update, of course. –smile- Anyways. Enough with the authors notes. **

**Disclaimer: If I owned Bleach, I'd give the copyrights of Hitsugaya to my RP site. .

* * *

**

Toshiro could only smirk as Matsumoto cheered, punching her hand in the air and leaping up. Honestly, she was acting like he had just announced that she got a year long break.

"Hey, that doesn't mean I'm going easier on you."

Matsumoto stopped cheering immediately. Toshiro was hardly surprised.

"Taicho! That's not fair!"

"It certainly is."

"Well, at least give me tomorrow off."

Toshiro wiped the hopeful smile off Matsumoto's face easily.

"No. You have todays and yesterdays paperwork, and if I let you off tomorrow, you'll have three days paperwork."

Matsumoto left the office grumbling things that sounded oddly like 'slave-driver taicho,' and 'could give me a break'.

Toshiro just continued smirking.

He hadn't gone into a daze like the one he had gone into yesterday since he was a small child, and he first came to Soul Society. For days he had wandered around Rukongai, until he collapsed and an old woman found him and took him in. And that's when he met Momo.

He'd spent as long as he could remember with her.

He would have gone into another daze had Yachiru not come flying through his window. And latched herself onto his head.

"Shiro-chan!"

Toshiro winced visibly as the pink haired fuku-taicho screamed into his ear.

"Kusajishi-fuku-taicho, remove yourself from me."

The child simply laughed loudly.

"You sound like Byakushi!"

Toshiro sighed and glared at Yachiru from the corner of his eye. What he wouldn't give to have a bag of confetti candy at that moment in time.

"Ne, ne, guess what I saw yesterday when I was looking for Ken-chan!"

Toshiro really didn't care. Why didn't she go bother Ikkaku or somebody from her _own_ division?

"I said guess, Shiro-chan!"

"I don't know."

Yachiru pouted and landed on his desk lightly, crossing her legs and sitting precariously on top of a large pile of his paperwork.

"You're no fun," she mumbled, and Toshiro rolled his eyes. It wasn't his job to entertain her.

"I know I'm no fun."

Yachiru grinned.

"Well, when I passed the Fourth Division, I saw you."

Toshiro's eyes widened. He was only in the Fourth Division at one point yesterday. He wanted to smack himself over the head repeatedly with something hard.

"And, ne, Shiro-chan, congrats! When are you gonna tell her?"

Toshiro slammed his head to the desk. He was doomed. Yachiru would tell everyone, and everyone else would know before Momo did.

"How much?"

Yachiru seemed to know what he meant.

"A year's supply."

"And you'll keep your mouth shut?"

"Of course. Pleasure doing business with you, Shiro-chan."

With a positively evil grin on her face, Yachiru left the Tenth Division quarters, humming a random happy tune, and the thought of a year's supply of candy arriving at the Twelfth Division quarters tomorrow made her squeal will glee.

And it left Toshiro wanting to have age restrictions on the seated members of the Gotei 13 Squads. With the exception of him, of course.

His head lifted abruptly as he heard a familiar voice conversing with Yachiru just outside the door.

"Kusajishi-fuku-taicho, is Hitsugaya-kun in?"

"He sure is, Pi-chi!"

Oh hell no.

* * *

**-grin- Pi-chi means Peach. Now, who's name means peach?**


	10. Conveniently Placed Paperwork

**I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I DIDN'T UPDATE YESTERDAY! You wouldn't either if you only had fifteen hours sleep when you're supposed to have had forty. –dies- That and I was completely museless. But, I bought a lot of Christmas presents today. So, I'm feeling a bit better. That and I got a dress for my formal, and I Loooooooooove it! –inner girl comes out and squees in all your faces, then eats you all- -cough- Anyways. **

**Disclaimer: If I owned Bleach, I would not have let this week's chapter make me cry. Yeah. -wails for Hanataro and Rukia-**

* * *

A feeling of dread washed over Toshiro. Yachiru was talking to Momo. Oh crap oh crap oh crap oh crap ohcrapohcrap_ohcrapohcrap__**ohcrapohcrap**__**ohcrapohcrapOHCRAP! **_

That could be described as what was going through Toshiro's head at that moment in time. He was terrified.

"Ne, ne, Odango-chan, guess what happened yesterday?"

Toshiro couldn't move. He could just see the pink haired girl's malevolent smile in his minds eye, and he wanted to cry. Not really, but, he didn't want it to happen. Crying was below Hitsugaya Toshiro. Crying was for kids. And he was _not _a kid.

Definitely not a kid.

"I don't know what happened, Kusajishi-fuku-taicho…"

Toshiro felt if the ground opened up and swallowed him, it would be just great.

"Well, Ken-chan said that if you wanted, he could kill Traitor-chan for you! Because he really wants to fight him, and he says that Traitor-chan looked really strong!"

Toshiro clutched at his hair. She told her that he – wait. What?

"Ah…uhm…well, thank you to Zaraki-taicho for the offer…but, ah…I…"

"I told him you wouldn't want that, Momo-chin! It's okie dokie!"

Toshiro could hear the sound of tiny feet running meld into the noise of the rain. He could have fainted with relief, had Momo not come into his office, and then fainting would have looked strange. And Momo was the sick one, not him.

"Hi, Shiro-chan!"

Toshiro dropped into the chair behind him.

"Hello Hinamori…"

"Ah, so it's back to Hinamori, is it?"

Oh good King of the Heavens. Help me. Toshiro did not want to have _that _argument again. They spend long enough arguing about it yesterday.

"What is it, Hinamori?"

Momo frowned. He was being overly distant today, in her opinion. What happened to the Toshiro of yesterday? At the thought of the 'Toshiro of yesterday', Momo blushed. Furiously.

Toshiro thanked Matsumoto silently when she came in through the door. And then he damned her ten times and then once more for good measure.

"Ah, sorry taicho, I didn't mean to interrupt anything…"

And then she left, a suggestive grin on her face. Toshiro made sure to remember that she would get all his paper work for the next three months.

Momo looked at the door that Matsumoto had entered and exited from with a 'what was that about?' look on her face. Toshiro simply glared at said door, as if willing it to burst into flame.

Freeze would have been easier, but since it was an inanimate object already, what was the point in covering it in ice? Sometimes, he wished he could control fire like the Soutaicho. Sometimes.

Toshiro didn't realise he was so lost in his resolution to set the door on fire with his eyes that Momo was trying to talk to him.

He only snapped out of it when she was yelling 'SHIRO-CHAN!' very loudly in his face, her screwed up face and tightly clenched eyes mere millimetres from his.

He toppled backwards and out of his seat.

She burst into giggles.

Of course, she didn't know why he reacted so abruptly. If you had kissed your best friend without them knowing, and then suddenly having them in your face, would you not fall backwards too?

Except Momo did know that he kissed her. But Toshiro didn't know that. But _we_ know that she knows, and that's what makes it even more fun.

So, what does one do when ones friend is lying on the floor? One goes to help them up. Well…at least, that's what most people do.

Except, there was one problem with this situation. Yes. I am talking about that conveniently placed pile of paper work beside Toshiro's desk that Momo did just not happen to notice.

"Uwaaaaahhhhh!"

That is the sound of Momo tripping over said pile of paperwork.

"Ahhhhhh!"

That is the sound of Toshiro watching Momo trip over said pile of paperwork.

So, next thing they knew, Momo was lying on top of Toshiro, and was smothering him with her chest. As I always say – death by cleavage. What a way to go.

* * *

**Rather short, I know. But, I think the smothering makes up for it. **

**And yes, I do say 'death by cleavage. What a way to go'. It's my personal philosophy. And my msn name. –grin- **

**WOW, CHAPTER TEN ALREADY?! –falls over- **


	11. Of being spotted

**I think my chapters are going to have to be two days in between now. My school life is getting busier as my school concert comes up and I have a formal soon and exams and drama performances and life is just taking over my world. –sigh- It sucks having a life. **

**Disclaimer: If I owned Bleach, Isshin would get more love. **

* * *

Of course, Toshiro didn't die. He wanted to, but, unfortunately, Lady Luck was being a bitch again and decided to let him live and face the aftermath of the…_incident. _

If the silences on the day before were uncomfortable, they were nothing like this. This was unbearable. Not even able to look at each other. Momo's face was still like a beacon, shining brighter than any lamp in the slightly darkened room. Toshiro couldn't lift his eyes as he sat at his desk.

Matsumoto was doing her very best to not burst into hysterical convulsions while she picked up the loose leaves of paper that were still scattered around from the _incident_. She wasn't allowed to speak a word, as an order from her taicho and the fuku-taicho of the Fifth Division, who currently out-ranked her for the fact that she was now given the task of running her division.

But by god, the Shinigami Women's Association would have a field day when she got out of there. Imagine! The youngest seated officers of the whole of the Gotei 13 Squads, and they were getting it _on_ in her Division offices! _Brilliant!_

"Matsumoto, get out."

Toshiro was sick of her smirking at him every time she managed to catch his eye. Yes, he and Momo were found in an awkward position. Yes, it took them a while to realise what was going on. Yes, Matsumoto had found them.

Yes, they were doomed.

His eyes followed Matsumoto as she walked out of the room, an unnaturally happy skip to her step. God. It would be around Soul Society in a few hours that Momo was having his baby.

She wasn't, of course, but, you know how gossip travels. 'I swallowed a fistful of cheese' could become 'Momo is Shiro's main squeeze' in less than two days. And just to clear things up, she wasn't his main squeeze either.

Maybe he should just escape from Seireitei. That would be a really good idea, wouldn't it? Take Momo with him, they could live in the country like they used to. Although, then they'd be accused of eloping.

How were they going to get out of this mess?

"We could run away."

Toshiro lifted his head as Momo spoke for the first time since the _incident_. He could still see the bright red splashed across her cheeks.

"They'd think we had eloped…"

Momo squeaked and he could see the steam coming out from her ears.

"I was thinking, you know, kill Matsumoto…although, Yachiru knows too…"

Momo blinked at him.

"Kusajishi-fuku-taicho? She saw it?"

Toshiro could have lopped his own head off.

"Saw what?"

EVASIVE MANOUVERS, ON THE DOUBLE!

"That's what I'm asking you."

Momo's face was the epitome of confusion. Toshiro wouldn't answer her. He was so stupid! He couldn't keep his big mouth shut. Bring on crazed Zaraki Kenpachi any day, hell, bring on Kuchiki Byakuya and his flowers of D00M, he'd rather face the whole off Seireitei than go through this moment with Momo.

"Shiro-chan…what did Kusajishi-san see?"

Oh sweet mother of heaven…his head was trying to turn cogs but they weren't moving.

"Nothing…"

Work brain, work!

"Shiro-chan."

"Bed-wetter-Momo."

That's it, distract her with a childish nickname, it always works.

"Shiro-chan, what did Kusajishi-san see?!"

Why won't it work?!

"I don't know!"

Lie, Toshiro, lie for your life and dignity!

"You do know, otherwise you would have told me!"

Why does she know you so well? It's so troublesome!

"I don't know anything!"

"Shiro-chan, if she saw you kiss me yesterday, I swear, I'm kicking your ass from here to Soukyoku Hill!"

Well, if weren't for the fact that she knew that he has kissed her, Toshiro would have been surprised at the fact that Momo had cussed, and threatened to kick his ass.

"YOU KISSED HER?! THIS IS GOING STRAIGHT TO THE PRESS!"

And thus came Matsumoto's scream of delight, and Toshiro and Momo snapped their heads to where her voice had come from.

They both made a dash for the door, both hell bent on stopping the busty fuku-taicho from spreading the news.

* * *

**Short and rambly and I STOLE YOUR PHRASE, SHANNY. Raging lad. **

**Reviews will be used to fuel my muse. **


	12. Holierthanthou

**You guys are lucky. I ain't feeling very good. **

**Disclaimer: If I owned Bleach, I would make it more popular in the UK. –wails- NONE OF MY FRIENDS EVEN KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BLEACH AND THE DETERGENT!

* * *

**

The unseated member of the Tenth Division quivered in his straw sandals as his crazed looking taicho grabbed the front of his kimono and demanded quite furiously for him to spill is he knew of his fuku-taicho's current location.

By the man's sheer terror at the decreasing temperature, he simply fainted. Toshiro promptly threw the unconscious body of one of his subordinates to the ground and continued on, Momo shouting reprimands in his ear.

"That was cruel, Hitsugaya-kun!"

"And do you know what else is cruel? Having gossip spread about you! God damn it, where _is_ she?!"

He swore a random stream of curses under his breath, wishing he could shout them louder. If he did shout them louder, Soul Society would know that Matsumoto was in deep shit for spilling secrets. Since he didn't want people coming to him to know said secret, he kept the volume down.

Momo stopped a woman from her own division that she had recognised, and scowled when she shook her head and went on her business. Toshiro clenched his jaw tightly as Momo's eyebrows furrowed angrily. That rarely happened. She must be really pissed off.

Unbeknownst to our favourite couple, Matsumoto was strolling along at a leisurely pace, a hop, skip and jump in her step. She was adamant that she would reach the press offices of the Seireitei News magazine before her captain and his … what would Momo be described as now? Anyway, they would never catch her.

She loved the Fourth Division for showing her the way around the underground passages of the city.

Above ground, Toshiro and Momo were slowly being driven to insanity. They had already been told off by Kuchiki Byakuya for acting like commoners, shouting at each other and basically lowering the standards of the seated officers of the Gotei 13.

Momo pulled faces at his back as he walked away from them.

Toshiro stared at her, in awe of her courage and sheer cheek in the presence of a superior officer. She retorted with 'I'm human, I get annoyed at him and his 'holier-than-thou attitude too!'

"Come on, we gotta find her before she gets to…wait...where would she be going?"

Momo sighed and placed a hand on her hip. Another thing Toshiro rarely saw her do. Wow. She must be _extremely_ pissed off.

"She's going to the Seireitei magazine building, it's obvious! She's practically drinking buddies with the gossip column writer, and Hisagi-senpai will probably believe her too!"

This made Toshiro stop.

"What do you mean, 'believe her too'? I know they know we're best friends, but they don't ever think anything more than that."

Momo's face went into beacon mode again. Colour – red.

"Well…"

Toshiro could feel the dread washing over him as he watched Momo fidget nervously as she started the story.

"One time he, Abarai-san, Kira-kun and Matsumoto-san took me out drinking…and they kind of forced it out of me…"

Yep. _Definite _dread.

"Forced _what_, exactly?"

"Does it really matter?!"

The unusually high pitch of her voice told him that it did.

"Yes."

Her ears were bright red.

"Well…theygotitoutofmethatikindoflikedyoubutwouldneverdoanythingaboutitbecauseididntwanttoruinourfriendshipandwasprettycertainthatyouneverfeltthesamewayaboutmebutnowthatmatsumotosanheardmeshoutingatyoutheyllknow…"

It was certainly a mouthful to say all in one breath.

Toshiro would have replied if he had not felt an extremely familiar reiatsu nearby.

"Momo do you…"

She seemed to have notice too.

"North-east!"

They sped their way towards the direction that Momo had yelled, following the trail of spirit particles their victim had stupidly left behind.

One moment, Matsumoto was wandering along, minding her own business, and the next thing she knew she was pressed tightly face first against a wall, her arms pushed at an unnatural angle against her back and the tips of two well known swords pressed two the back of her neck.

"One wrong word or movement, Matsumoto, and we will kill you."

"Ara, ara, taicho, that's mean."

Toshiro rolled her eyes at his fuku-taicho's comment.

"Matsumoto-san, we're not joking."

Momo's voice was as cold as Hyourinmaru. Toshiro could feel the sword in his hand complimenting her.

Matsumoto let out a grin.

"Come on, Momo-chan…you wouldn't do that to me…"

"Yes we would!"

They answered simultaneously. Matsumoto laughed throatily.

"There'd be no point. Shuuhei took my story in two minutes ago."

* * *

**Raging for Momo and Toshiro, no? **

**Reviews make my world go round. **


	13. Normality

**DUNDUNDUN! It's Insomnia Strikes Back day! Amazing how I can go the week without feeling as tired as I do today, but, you know…Friday exhaustion. Still, I'm gonna manage to post, dearies. **

**Disclaimer: If I owned Bleach, the new manga chapters would be translated before Naruto. Don't get me wrong, I love Naruto, but Shinigami are way better than ninjas.

* * *

**

Momo and Toshiro made it to the Seireitei News press offices out of breath, red in the face and shouting for Hisagi Shuuhei. The tattooed fuku-taicho stuck his head out from behind a filing cabinet he had been shoulder deep in.

"What brings you here, Hinamori-kun, Hitsugaya-taicho?" he asked, rather calmly, for supposedly just being told that the two before him were romantically involved. Strolling over to them, he leaned across the workbench that separated them.

Toshiro attempted to catch his breath, while Momo was trying to communicate with her upperclassman with a heaving chest and dry throat. All she got across was 'I need water.'

"Ma…Matsumoto…"

Shuuhei raised an eyebrow at Toshiro, who was leaning on the workbench for support.

"Haven't seen her since the weekend."

Toshiro and Momo stood straight up in shock. It was right then that Matsumoto appeared before them, across the workbench and started whispering in Shuuhei's ear. Toshiro and Momo attempted to leap over the table and stop the busty blonde, but, the two fuku-taichos held them away by placing hands on the short seated member's heads.

Ah, the old 'hold-away-the-short-person-by-making-sure-they-can't-touch-you-technique'.

When Matsumoto had finished whispering, she leant back and smirked triumphantly, her hand still placed firmly on her taicho's head. Shuuhei's eyes widened and glanced to the flustered looking Toshiro and Momo. They glared at him defiantly.

"Ara, ara, who would have thought it? Our lil' kid genius and Hinamori-kun pairing up…"

It was the first time Matsumoto had ever seen an expression other than a bored scowl on her taicho's face. His bright pink, embarrassed face was one she needed to take a photo of. Luckily, since it was a magazine office, there was a camera around.

Click!

Toshiro could have killed her then and there. He really could have.

"Matsumoto-san, stop it, please!"

Momo was pleading now, almost in tears. Ah, the fake-cry technique. Toshiro had only ever seen it twice. This being the second time.

But, he could see that it was working. Matsumoto's teasing face had softened into one of guilt. He worked hard to keep his own face straight, so as to not give it away. A tiny glance at Momo confirmed his suspicions.

"Please, Matsumoto-san…Hisagi-senpai…don't do this to us…" she was sniffling now, holding her hands up to her face pitifully, so they would not see the tiny smile hiding behind her palms.

Toshiro scowled at the adjutants, in the 'look at what you made her do now' way. They looked guiltily at their feet. Now's his chance.

Using shunpo, Toshiro leapt on the workbench, snatched the camera out of his fuku-taicho's hands, and then grabbed Momo's wrist. The two of them dashed out of the building, looking over their shoulders as the disbelieving faces of Matsumoto and Shuuhei suddenly turned into furious ones.

"Come on, Hitsugaya-kun! They're gonna catch up to us!"

Momo was tugging on his hand, trying to make him run faster. There was no way they'd catch up to _him_, he was of captain class…Momo however…shunpo was not her forte...

Well, only one way about it.

"Hold on tight, and try to keep up!"

He linked his fingers through hers, ignoring the blush rising against her cheeks, and pulled her along, the figures of Matsumoto and Shuuhei slowly disappearing around the many corners of the roads in Seireitei as they sped through the high walls surrounding them.

He slowed when Momo tugged on his arm.

"What is it?"

"Shiro-chan…I think I hear them…they're jumping on the roofs!"

Toshiro swore under his breath. Detaching himself from Momo, he slipped off his captain's haori, threw it to the wind, grabbed Momo's hand again and ran the opposite direction in which the white coat flew. Momo stared at her childhood friend as he ran with her in the same uniform as she. He looked so…

Normal.

And suddenly, they were back in Rukongai.

Running from street vendors they had stolen from, from the thugs of adults, from older children who sought to beat them up for having spirit power.

Before she knew it, she was in a dark storage shed, and Toshiro was leaning against the door he had just slid closed. She turned to look at him confusedly.

"They should follow the reiatsu of the haori for a good while. It's Matsumoto and Hisagi…it'll take them a while to find us..."

Momo nodded. Toshiro frowned at her.

"What's wrong?"

Momo shook her head frantically.

"I…was just thinking…you look taller without the Captains haori…"

Toshiro looked himself up and down. Say what?

"I do?"

Momo nodded. She took a step closer to him. Lifting her hand to the top of his head, she brought it along to equal where it was on her. An inch above her own head.

"Since when did you get taller than me, Shiro-chan?"

"Since you started shrinking in the Fourth Division…"

Somehow, Momo had to look up at him. She'd never done that – ever. It made her nervous. And she noticed the furrow that his eyebrows created. Reaching up, she used her fingers to smooth out the creases.

"You'll get wrinkles…" she whispered.

"I don't care."

"I care."

* * *

**-dances- Momo and Shiro, sittin' in a shed! **

**In a rather happy mood. All those who've read the newest chapter of Bleach know why I have a reason to be! **


	14. Clash of the Zanpakuto

**An update immediately because I'm away all day tomorrow. **

**Disclaimer: If I owned Bleach I would hurry the storyline up.

* * *

**

"Ah, mou! It was only his haori! Damn taicho, he's too smart!" Matsumoto whined, holding up the now dirty haori and folding it over her arm as she and Shuuhei made their way back to his Division. Of course, being them, they had given up the chase in favour of spending the evening drinking. In Matsumoto's opinion, it was the more fun option. Embarrassing her taicho was amusing, but getting drunk with Shuuhei was better.

Shuuhei rolled his eyes.

"You idiot, he's the kid genius. Of course he's too smart."

Matsumoto glared at her drinking partner, and delivered a swift slap to the back of his head.

"Maybe we should call Kira and Renji up?" she asked, as Shuuhei rubbed the offending sore spot sulkily.

"Abarai's in the real world."

Matsumoto pouted.

"Let's head to the Third, then."

Shuuhei nodded, and was about to join Matsumoto in her shunpo towards Kira's Division, when he suddenly stopped short.

Matsumoto looked at him questioningly as the only part of Shuuhei's face she could see was the 69 tattoo.

"Hisagi? What's up?"

His eyebrows were twitching and his mouth was growing into a triumphant smirk.

"Found them."

Had Momo or Toshiro known it wouldn't take that long for the Ninth and Tenth Squad fuku-taichos to find out their location, maybe they would have spent less time staring at each other in the silence that was engulfing the shed.

Personally, Toshiro found the silence deafening. It was roaring in his ears, taunting him, telling him to even try to do away with it. He couldn't. All he could do was look down at Momo. (How long he'd wait to say that, he'd _finally_ surpassed her in this. It was his only goal to beat Momo's height!)

Momo, on the other hand, was wishing he would say something. Or do something. She'd be grateful if he started a fight with her, then and there.

"_Tobuime, this is getting on my nerves. And you know how long my temper is." _

"_Tell me about it. If there were ever such a guileless couple as those two, I'd go mad." _

"_I think I'm already partially insane." _

"_Come off it, Hyourinmaru. You're completely insane." _

"_. . ." _

"_Need some ice for that burn?" _

"_Hardy. Har. Har. Your original witty comments continue to amaze and astound me." _

"_Seriously, need some ice?" _

"_Shut up, Tobuime." _

"_That's mean. I could have her kidnap you." _

"_The kid wouldn't let anyone steal me." _

"_Oh yeah?" _

Momo's eyes clouded, and she couldn't control anything. Her senses were dead. She couldn't see, hear, smell, or feel. She didn't know if her body was moving or not.

And suddenly she found herself in her zanpakuto's world. She blinked in the brightness, shielding her eyes in the brightness that contrasted with the dark of the shed. To be honest, she loved her inner world. A bright forest clearing with a small stream running through it, plum blossoms falling from the trees.

But, she couldn't figure out for the life of her why she was here.

"Tobuime?"

She continued to call her Soul Slayer's name, and upon receiving no answer, bit her lip.

"_I am sorry, Momo. I need your body for a little moment." _

Momo could hear Tobuime's voice, but not see her herself. Deciding to trust her sword, she knelt down, and decided to take a walk through the forest that surrounded her. And clapped her hand her mouth.

Outside the clearing, her land was beginning to freeze.

Toshiro was starting get worried. Momo's eyes had lost all focus, and she would not respond to anything he did or said. Her eyes fluttered shut, and when they opened, they had focus. But they were pink.

"_I will prove you wrong, Hyourinmaru. And sooth your temper._"

Toshiro wanted to take a step back. This voice was not Momo's.

This was not Momo at all.

"Are you…Tobuime?"

She made Momo's mouth smirk. It was an unnatural expression on Momo's face.

"_You are a smart one, just like he says._"

Toshiro wanted to ask who said he was smart, but, at that moment, he was pushed very forcefully against a wall and found that his mouth was being dominated by Momo's.

Matsumoto and Shuuhei's jaws dropped when they found Momo pressing Toshiro against a wall, and quite eagerly snogging his brains out.

"Holy shit…"

Momo grabbed the hilt of Toshiro's zanpakuto, and pulled it from its sheath. Toshiro didn't seem to notice or mind.

Momo trembled as the ice came closer to her, and she gasped as it took the form of an ice dragon.

"_Fight for control!_" it yelled at her, and she blinked, and suddenly she was standing in front of red faced Toshiro once more, holding Hyourinmaru, and Matsumoto laughing with Shuuhei by the door.

"Huh? What just happened?"

"_Tobuime, you're a bitch and I hate you."_

"_Love you too, Hyourin-chan."

* * *

_

**-twirls- I had fuuuuun writing this!**


	15. Shocked

**Sorry guys about the lack of update. Life caught up on me. And sorry about any inconsistencies with this chappie. I'm not really concentrating that well, 'cause I think I have a migraine coming on…and the fact that I finally got my hand on subbed Diamond Dust Rebellion trailers. Let's just say, they made me cry. 'Cause, I don't want Shiro-chan to die. But, it's good that they made a feature film for him. It'll be awesome. When it comes out. –sigh- Who knows how long that'll be. **

**Disclaimer: If I owned Bleach I could think of something funny to say

* * *

**

"Matsumoto-san? Hisagi-senpai? What are you two laughing at?"

Momo was more than confused. Toshiro wouldn't look at her, her fellow fuku-taichos were in hysterics and she was still holding Hyourinmaru, the zanpakuto's power beginning to leak onto her hands.

Shuuhei had shoved his face into the door frame, using it to hold himself up. Matsumoto had abandoned all dignity and was rolling around on the floor, banging her fist on the ground.

"Shiro-chan, what's going on?"

Toshiro simply looked to the side and down. Momo attempted to move into his line of sight, but he moved his head again. This happened three more times until she got fed up.

"Mou! You guys are being mean by not telling me!"

Between breaths, Matsumoto managed a sentence out.

"You….d-don't know…"

"Tobuime had taken over her body. I think she and Hyourinmaru were having a conversation and she was trying to prove a point."

Matsumoto stopped laughing and blinked in surprise.

"A zanpakuto can take over its shinigami's body?"

"Not usually. Only if the Shinigami is in a certain state of mind. Or if the zanpakuto wanted something badly."

Matsumoto started sniggering again while Shuuhei was calming down.

"Tobuime wanted to…?"

Toshiro scowled, and Momo looked between the two males. Shuuhei smirked was widening as Toshiro's frown deepened.

"No. I told you. Tobuime wanted to prove a point."

"You didn't seem to mind that."

It was like watching someone pour a red liquid into Toshiro's head. His face gradually became redder and redder until he looked like an oddly shaped tomato. Momo would have giggled if Toshiro's eyebrows weren't pulled so close together.

"_Momo. Tell them that I was attempting to swordnap Hyourinmaru."_

Momo blinked. It wasn't often that Tobuime talked to her out of their world. But, she complied.

"Tobuime just told me that she was trying to steal Hyourinmaru. Oh. I guess she succeeded."

Momo looked to the green hilted zanpakuto in her hands. If she stared closely enough, she could see it quivering in anger. Taking the hilt, she handed it back to the white haired boy before her. Once again, Toshiro did not meet her eyes. Pursing her lips, Momo frowned, and turned to the other two.

"Okay, tell me. Why won't my best friend look me in the eye?"

Matsumoto and Shuuhei sent each other a glance.

'_Should we tell her?' _

'_I think we should.'_

'_My taicho will kill us deader than dead.'_

'_It'll be worth it.'_

Nodding frankly to each other, they grinned at Momo.

"Because you did this."

As if they had practised it, Matsumoto and Shuuhei turned to each other, linked arms, and stuck their own thumbs in their mouth. From Momo's viewpoint, it looked like they were kissing.

Toshiro waited for Momo to react.

She didn't.

Even when Matsumoto and Shuuhei had stopped sucking their thumbs and unlinked their arms, she had still not reacted.

She was frozen to the spot, eyes wide and mouth hanging slightly open.

"Hinamori-chan?"

Matsumoto waved a hand in front of the stoic Fifth fuku-taicho's face.

"Hinamori?"

Shuuhei prodded her in the side, knowing her to be ticklish there.

"Bed-wetter-Momo?"

At Toshiro calling Momo's name, she let out a squeak. But did nothing else.

"Ara, taicho, she's too shocked to do anything."

Toshiro folded his arms across his chest and sighed, closing his eyes.

"I'm not stupid, Matsumoto. I know when someone is shocked."

Shuuhei smirked, and stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"Hitsugaya-taicho, if you don't mind me saying so…I suggest you do something to shock her _back_ into her senses."

A vein under Toshiro's eye twitched. He didn't like the sound of that.

"Example…you could kiss her again…"

Shuuhei was forced to the ground with the Boy Genius' reiatsu. Matsumoto, being used to it, managed to stand, although, sweating slightly. Momo was spared from the heavy reiatsu.

"Get…out…"

Later, Shuuhei claimed that Toshiro's element was fire, not ice. Matsumoto backed it up.

Toshiro watched the two adjutants flee from the shed, his eye continuously twitching. He sighed, and the twitching stopped. Turning back to Momo, who was still in the state of shock, he stared at her sadly.

"I hate taking advice from people under me…" he mumbled as he placed his hands on Momo's cheeks, and tilted her head towards his.

Momo's eyes snapped open to stare at Toshiro's closed ones, but she did not move back. She just let her own eyelids flutter downwards and pushed her lips against his.

* * *

**Off to beeeeeeeeeeed…even if it's only half nine…that's how tired I am…**


	16. Cowards

**Again, sorry about the lateness. Instead of insomnia it's chronic headaches this time. God. I'm just so screwed up. **

**But, anyways, I complained about the Diamond Dust Rebellion trailers last time. Okay, so, the new opening for episode 151? I ran down the stairs and started crying in my mothers arms, screaming about the scenes of 1:14 and 1:15. She sort of understood what I was talking about, because she DOES watch Bleach, but, she only just started and is only on the second series. She got the part about Ichigo being frozen, but she was like 'Who's Toshiro?' when I mentioned him. Anyone who doesn't want to know, don't read the next sentence. Seriously, if Toshiro dies because of that huge white thing sticking out of his chest, I'm boycotting Bleach. They CAN'T kill him. HE HASN'T KILLED AIZEN YET! (He has to be the one to kill Aizen, or at least Momo. Because that'd be the most awesome twist. Anyways…) AND IF HE DIES, WHAT HAPPENS TO HITSUHINA?!**

**Wow. Long authors note. –grin- I get rambly when in distress. ANYWAYS. **

**Disclaimer: If I owned Bleach, I'd be pretty damn rich. But, I'm not. So, I don't.

* * *

**

Toshiro watched her run like Matsumoto and Shuuhei had done. And then he slid down the wall and buried his face in his hands.

-

Momo slammed into the roadside wall, breathing heavily, and she fell to her knees, clutching at the folds of her uniform, the hakama creasing under her grip. How far had she run? It felt like miles, but she could still sense his reiatsu. Probably because…

It was all over her.

How long had they stood together? It couldn't have been more than a few minutes. But those few minutes were comparable to an eternity, an infinite number of years.

But still, she ran. She had left him in the store shed, not even bothering to close the door behind her. He could have chased her. He was capable of it. She knew that perfectly well, but she had still taken off like a coward. She curled into the foetal position.

"I'm such a coward…" she whispered.

-

"Ara? Taicho? What are you doing back here?"

Matsumoto flinched when Toshiro raised his eyes from his paperwork. She _knew _she shouldn't have gone drinking after she left.

"I had to come back sometime. You, on the other hand, haven't done your paperwork for days."

Toshiro gestured to the large pile that was starting to look Everestial upon Matsumoto's small desk. By the tone of his voice, Matsumoto understood that to mention the incident of earlier would be completely taboo. The fuku-taicho sighed and collapsed onto the sofa that she had placed in front of her desk. She preferred tatami mats, but they wouldn't suit the height of the desk. Damn her taicho's fondness for Western styled rooms. He wouldn't let her get a different table, either.

Sighing, Matsumoto placed her chin in her palm as she leant on the desk. Her eyes scanned the sheet in front of her, and they widened.

"Taicho…they're...I think you should look at this."

"What is it, Matsumoto?"

He looked up as Matsumoto clambered over the back of the sofa to place the paper in front of him. His eyebrows rose considerably.

_**FOR THE ATTENTION OF ALL TAICHO'S**_

_**Recommendation of new Taicho **_

_**Candidate**__: Kurosaki Ichigo_

_**Current Position**__ Shinigami Representative for Karakura Town_

_**Reasons for recommendation**__: Kurosaki is an able Shinigami, and a valuable asset to Soul Society. Upon death, he would have surely become a seated member of the Gotei 13, and considering the loss of three taicho's, Kurosaki is much needed in leading either the Third, Fifth or Ninth Division. Kurosaki has already shown that he is able to perform Bankai, and his reiatsu is equal to a taichos. He does lack any training in Kido, but this is over ruled by his excellent skills with and without a zanpakuto. This is proven by his defeat of, in growth of power;_

_**Madarame Ikkaku**__ (11__th__ Division, 3__rd__ Seat) [__zanpakuto_

_**Abarai Renji**__ (6__th__ Division, fuku-taicho) [__zanpakuto_

_**Zaraki Kenpachi**__ [draw (11__th__ Division, taicho) [__zanpakuto_

_**Omaeda Marechiyo**__ (2__nd__ Division, fuku-taicho) [__hand-to-hand combat_

_**Sasakibe Chojiro**__ (1__st__ Division, fuku-taicho) [__hand-to-hand combat_

_**Kotetsu Isane**__ (4__th__ Division, fuku-taicho) [__hand-to-hand combat_

_**Kuchiki Byakuya**__ (6__th__ Division, taicho) [__zanpakuto_

_Kurosaki's destruction of the Soukyoku stand also demonstrates the power of his reiatsu. _

_**Prompter: **__Ukitake Jushiro _

_**Second: **__Zaraki Kenpachi_

_**Third: **__Unohana Retsu_

_**Fourth: **__Kyoraku Shinsui _

_**Fifth: **__Kurotsuchi Mayuri _

_**Sixth: **__Kuchiki Byakuya _

_**Seventh: **__Soi Fon (Shaolin Fon)_

_**Eighth:**_

_**Ninth:**_

_If Kurosaki Ichigo gains all nine recommendations, he will immediately leave the living world, go through a kido crash course and gain title of Fifth Division taicho, with Hinamori Momo as fuku-taicho. _

_Yamamoto-Genry__usai Shigekuni_

Matsumoto watched her taicho's face for a reaction. She got none. It remained stoic as he picked up a pen and signed his name alongside the next empty line, underneath the blockish signature of Soi Fon. Matsumoto blinked.

"Taicho…why…?"

Toshiro passed the paper back to her.

"The positions need to be filled. Kurosaki Ichigo is perfect for a taicho's position."

Matsumoto scowled and slammed her fist on his desk.

"And what about Hinamori-chan's feelings?"

"Go do your paperwork, Matsumoto."

Matsumoto remained still as she watched the boy genius return to his paperwork. When he looked back up to her, she was staring at him in disbelief.

"She ran away, didn't she?"

Toshiro sighed. How the hell did she do that? Go from stupid to serious to incredibly spot on in just a few seconds.

"Paperwork, Matsumoto."

Matsumoto raised an eyebrow and sneered at him.

"You're a coward when it comes to her, taicho."

And with that, she went back to her sofa, plopping back onto it with a little 'oof!'

Toshiro stared at the back of her head. Yes, he was a coward when it came to Hinamori Momo. He had known her for more than fifty years. And it took him that long to even reveal the slightest romantic interest to her, when he had felt it for so long. When she had run from the shed, he was too afraid to go after her.

_Momo pulled back, opened her eyes and Toshiro just stared at her. She had kissed him back. And she started trembling, her eyes filling with tears, and she pushed past him, struggling with the door, and he watched her. He didn't try to stop her. _

_When she threw the door open, Toshiro's eyes dropped to the floor and stared at his feet. He was confused. Why had she cried, when she had kissed him back? _

_So he slid to the ground and buried his thoughts and feelings to the very bottom of his soul _

He exhaled loudly, and leant his head on the desk. He was such a coward.

He didn't know that somewhere in the Fourth Division, Momo was thinking the same thing as she curled up under her bed sheets.

* * *

**It's so EMO! D: **


	17. Jealous Betrayal

**I'M SORRY GUYS! Life has been so HECTIC this week. I had so much homework on Monday, and I had my semi-formal on Tuesday, and then Wednesday I was sick, last night I was swamped with homework and BLAAAAAH! It would have been so much better if my friend had given me his tie. It was pink and sexy. Sexier on me that it was on him, anyway. **

**Disclaimer: If I owned Bleach, then…I WOULD TOTALLY MAKE EVERY CHAPTER OF THE MANGA LIKE THE LATEST ONE! TOSHIRO AS A KID IS SO FREAKIN' CUTE! AND HE SMILES! SMIIIIIIIIIILEEEES! MY GOD! -swoons- I FEEL LIKE A PEDOPHILE BUT DON'T CARE!

* * *

**

Matsumoto sighed as she signed her name along a line. She didn't know what she was signing for. She was just signing. She was told that if she didn't, the young boy behind her would freeze her and give her to the Shinigami Art's Association as an ice sculpture.

Matsumoto didn't even know the Shinigami Art's Association existed. Maybe she should join. As she started to slack, she could feel her hand getting colder.

"I'M WORKING!" she screeched in terror, not bothering to turn around and face her taicho. The small ice crystals that were forming on her fingertips melted.

Her taicho was in a bad mood. A _very_ bad mood.

Ever since she had called him a coward, she could feel him slowly getting grouchier and grouchier. His reiatsu told her that, most obviously. Also, every time she turned round he stared at her like she had killed his dog.

Also, he started to freeze her every time her posture softened. It was really starting to get annoying.

"Taicho, if you're that ang- …where are you going?"

She got up and followed him as he made his way out of the office. He turned to her, and Matsumoto stopped as she caught the look on his face. Small red blotchy marks were on his cheeks.

Her face softened as she bowed to him, and she waited until she couldn't hear his footsteps anymore before raising her head.

She'd never ever _ever _seen him cry before.

-

"Hinamori-san? It's time for your medication…"

Momo remained still under the covers.

"Hinamori-san, I'm not Seventh Seat for nothing. I know you're awake…"

Sighing, Momo pulled the covers down from over her head. She gazed sadly at the young weedy looking man across from her.

"I don't want the medication, Yamada-kun."

Hanataro sighed and set down the tray he was carrying on Momo's beside locker.

"Hinamori-san, you must take it."

Momo pulled the covers back over her head.

"I don't want them."

"Hinamori-san…please…I don't want to have to restrain you…"

Momo scowled under the white sheet.

"Then don't! Throw the pills away and say I took them!"

Hanataro started shaking, and he bowed his head.

"I can't lie to Unohana-taicho, Hinamori-san."

"You did it well enough when you guided Kurosaki Ichigo to the Shrine of Penitence," Momo remarked sharply, and Hanataro whimpered, remembering the discussion he had overhead between his taicho and fuku-taicho. Ichigo was to become a captain. Komamura-taicho had been the last to sign the petition.

Hanataro was happy for Ichigo, and glad to have him as captain of the Fifth. But he was concerned for his current charge. She had been somewhat…obsessed with her previous taicho.

"Hinamori-san…"

"Go away, Yamada-kun! I told you, I'm not taking it. I didn't have a good day…"

Hanataro nodded, understanding. She had been out for too long, and he believed that staying out of bed would have made her more unstable. But, still…he had to tell her.

"I heard Unohana-taicho talking to Isane-fuku-taicho…"

Hinamori didn't stir underneath her covers.

"They said that Kurosaki Ichigo…he got all nine recommendations…he's going to be a captain…"

Still, no movement.

"Of the Fifth Squad."

Fifth Squad. Her squad. _Aizen_-taicho's squad. How could anyone let this happen?! As she lay in her bed, unmoving, Momo's mind was racing.

Nine recommendations.

The Sou-taicho did not approve of Kurosaki-san.

Without Ichimaru, Tousen, and her taicho there…that only left nine taicho's.

Momo shot up.

"He signed!"

Hanataro jumped back at Momo's heated outburst. He knew he shouldn't have said anything!

"Gomen-!"

He yelped as Momo rushed past him, sending him into the wall. The look on her face terrified him.

-

Momo was livid. How could he just _betray_ her like that? He _knew_ that she was only loyal to Aizen! He knew that!

And she stopped.

He knew it…she had no doubt about that. But, if he knew, and if he cared about her, why did he join the other taicho's in recommending Kurosaki Ichigo to be her new taicho?

She knew nothing about the orange haired boy. He saved Rukia. That was it. She'd never met him before. How could she let someone she'd never even met become her taicho? It was ridiculous.

But, back to the point. Toshiro signed. He knew it would hurt her if he did. But he still did it. _Why_?

And it dawned on her.

"Jealousy…" she whispered, and fell to her knees.

Toshiro was jealous.

"What about it?"

Momo's head snapped round to come face to face with a sullen looking Toshiro, his hands folded across his chest as he looked down at her.

"Are you?"

Toshiro didn't answer her.

* * *

**Waaahhhh…emo again…I promise, good will come from this fic. Eventually.**


	18. Life Saver

**-sigh- I'm sorry guys…after Winter break you might have to put up with once a week updates. I've got exams at the end of January and stuffs, so, yeah. Anyways. If you want to hear my excuses, I've been sick all week, Tuesday I was Christmas shopping, Wednesday I was performing with my school in Belfast (That's the capital of Northern Ireland, if you want to know), yesterday I was just exhausted from Wednesday…and today, I got out of school. Ehe. Skived last period to get my ears pierced a second time and to buy my mother a birthday present. Teachers saw me but didn't care. Oh well. Enough of my blabbering. **

**Disclaimer: If I owned Bleach, I would be able to draw. Unfortunately, I can't. So, I don't.

* * *

**

It was like a scene from what the humans called anime, Momo mused. They were standing on one of the platforms of the inner buildings of Seireitei, and the wind was blowing her hair into her face and her robes against her body.

It was making his haori move in a hypnotising dance before her eyes.

Definitely like an anime.

"Answer me."

Momo's voice was colder than she had expected it to be. She did not realise she would be _this_ angry at Toshiro agreeing to replace Aizen-taicho. It was taking all her self control to stop her from lashing out at him.

"_Answer me!_" she screamed when he simply stared at her. What was going through his head?! Was the so called kid genius' IQ dropping by the second? It seemed that was to her.

Without realising it, her hands had clenched into fists and she was shaking with anger. Momo attempted to slow down her fast paced breathing, but when she failed, she did not bother trying again. She would ask him one more time.

"Hitsugaya Toshiro –"

"_And what if I am_?"

Momo took a step back in surprise as he interrupted her. His voice was harsher than he had ever used with her. He was _glaring_ at her.

"I…" Momo began, but was once again cut off by the white haired taicho.

"What if I _am_ jealous of Aizen? Jealous of the guy you cry for, jealous of the guy you would give your life for, jealous of the man you love above everything else – I have a right to be jealous!"

He was trembling in anger. Each word was spat out like it tasted disgusting. Momo took another step back. Toshiro took a step forward.

"I think I have a right to be jealous, Hinamori!"

Momo winced.

"I have a right to be jealous of the man who took you out from under me! You left to become a Shinigami! Left me and baa-chan to sit and rot in Rukongai, while you went out and worshipped the man you only met once, the man who saved your life only once!"

Tears were springing to her eyes as he brought up the subject of the old woman who had taken care of them during their Rukongai days. She had passed away thirty years ago. A month before Toshiro took the captains exam.

"And if it wasn't for Matsumoto, I wouldn't have even become a Shinigami. You would have moved on and forgotten those who'd helped you get in. Did you even know that Ayumi became a Shinigami too?"

Momo frowned. Ayumi? Her eyes widened as she remembered her childhood friend.

"Didn't think so. You can't see past the adoration you have for your traitorous captain, and you forget about those who cared about you. Those who treat you like a human being!"

Momo's lower lip trembled and she opened her mouth.

"Aizen-taicho did treat me –"

Again he interrupted her. She clenched her eyes shut.

"Can you count how many times I've saved your life, Hinamori?"

Her head felt heavy as she shook it, and she let her chin fall to her chest as he shouted at her. She slowly comprehended the situation. This was what he had felt like for all these years.

"You can't, can you? It doesn't even matter. I know it's more than he has. Because, I saved you from _him_."

He turned on his heel and was gone.

-

Momo wandered back into the Fourth Division quarters in a daze. She was met with the disappointed stare of Unohana Retsu.

"Hinamori-san, do you know what time it is?" the gentlest captain asked, and her eyebrows furrowed slightly as the fifth fuku-taicho looked up at her with unblinking eyes.

"Unohana-taicho? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be back in Seireitei?"

Unohana's face remained passive.

"Oh? Where am I?" she asked, placing a hand around Momo's shoulders and guiding her back to her room. Momo did not resist, but let out a small laugh.

"Silly, you're in our house in Rukongai!"

Unohana's eye caught her fuku-taicho as she passed, and Kotetsu stared at Momo as she continued talking. The mauve haired young woman bowed to her captain and disappeared into another room.

"Our?" Unohana slid open the door to Momo's room and guided her to the crisp bed, pulling back the bed sheets.

"Duh, Unohana-taicho. Me and Shiro-chan, and baa-chan's house. Ayumi's gonna come for a sleepover tonight, so I'm afraid you can't stay…"

Unohana nodded as Momo lay down, and she let a nurse pull the covers over the delirious adjutant.

-

Toshiro pursed his lips as a Jigoku Chou fluttered around his head. Stupid thing. He wanted to be left alone. It had followed him all the way out to Rukongai. He stared up at the old house that was falling apart.

He scowled as the Jigoku Chou landed on his ear, and his eyes widened as it delivered its message.

'_Message for Hitsugaya-taicho of the 10__th__ Division, from Unohana-taicho of the Fourth Division. Please come as quickly as possible to Hinamori Momo's room, if you understand who Ayumi, baa-chan and Shiro-chan are.'

* * *

_

**Aw man. It's getting way too emo for my liking. **

**Anyways. HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY SHIRO-CHAN, AND I HOPE YOU DON'T DIE IN DIAMOND DUST REBELLION WHICH COMES OUT TOMORROW!**

**Oh! I have a birthday omake! -grin-**

**

* * *

**

Toshiro knew that if he left his office, he would be bombarded with confetti, courtesy of Momo and Matsumoto. God. Those two never gave up, did they? It was only his birthday. And he didn't even know if it was his birthday. Momo decided it would be his birthday when they were still young children in Rukongai, because it fit his name. Honestly. Just because it meant 'winter'.

Oh hell no. They were attempting to break his door down? Not happening. One look at the lock, and it froze.

Now, he wondered why they called him the kid genius. That just made it easier for them to break the door open.

They? It was just Matsumoto and Momo. With gifts. Oh god.

Two hours later, and Matsumoto left. Toshiro looked pointedly at Momo as she sat folding up the wrapping paper from the black overcoat she bought him.

"Oh, I have another gift for you," Momo quipped, reaching into the folds of her robes and pulling out a strange plant with white berries. Toshiro frowned.

"What is that?"

Momo grinned, and held it high in the air between their heads.

"It's called Mistletoe, and it has a tradition accompanying it around this time of year."

Toshiro gulped.


	19. Faker

**Ever get that feeling that you just don't have the energy to do anything other than sleep and watch videos? Yeah, that's how I'm feeling. Chugging out this chapter at different times, cause I have random bursts of muse. Sorry for the lateness of it. Requires a bit more thinking out than the earlier chapters. **

**Disclaimer: If I owned Bleach, I would know what happens in the end. But I don't.

* * *

**

Toshiro did not run back to Seireitei. He did not walk back to Seireitei. He _flew_ back to Seireitei, or that's what it seemed like to some. His first destination was the Eight Division quarters.

"Ara, if it isn't young Shiro-kun…what can I do for you?" Shinsui asked as he lifted his straw hat to reveal a rosy cheeked face.

Toshiro felt sorry for Nanao who was glaring at her taicho from the other side of the room. Something about her face made Toshiro believe that the man with the pink haori had made a drunken move on her, yet again.

"I need your 19th Seated Officer, Fujibayashi Ayumi, right now."

Shinsui sent a glance at Nanao and she was gone. The long haired man groaned as he sat up from his place on the floor, lifting his straw hat off completely and setting it beside him.

"What would you need with Ayumi-chan so late at night? Don't tell me you're cheating on Momo-chan! Shiro-kun, you sly dog!"

Toshiro sighed in exasperation. He should have expected this of the Eighth Division Captain. Rubbing the front of his forehead, Toshiro growled out his answer.

"First, I need Ayumi to help Unohana with something, and second, I am not cheating on Momo."

He did not like the triumphant grin that grew on Shinsui's face.

"Ara? Did mine ears deceive me or was that _not_ an outright denial of your relationship with Momo like you've been giving me for that past twenty years?"

Toshiro was glad Nanao was a fast, efficient worker; otherwise she would have found an ice sculpture of her captain with his pink haori in his mouth when she returned with the soft eyed Ayumi.

He rolled his eyes when she bowed to him.

"Cut the crap, Fujibayashi, Hinamori thinks she's back in Rukongai and is asking for both of us."

Ayumi's head snapped upwards as she looked at the white haired boy, shocked.

"Momo-chan…where is she?" she asked timidly, terrified in the presence of two captains and lieutenant. Toshiro turned as he walked out the door.

"Follow me, I'm going there now."

-

"A-chan! Shiro-chan! I've been waiting for you guys all night, where've you been?" Momo exclaimed brightly as she sat on her bed cross-legged and drinking a cup of tea.

Toshiro hung back at the door as Ayumi rushed to Momo's beside and engulfed Momo in a huge bear hug. He wondered how long it had been since they had seen each other…it had been thirty three years since Toshiro left Rukongai. Three years after that, Momo had no reason to return. Thirty years.

"Ah…A-chan, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

Momo was patting her friend on the back, looking at Toshiro in confusion, her tea suddenly forgotten on the bedside locker. Toshiro lifted a shoulder in a noncommittal shrug. He knew full well why Ayumi was crying. He wanted Momo to realise it too.

"I'm sorry…"

Momo frowned at Ayumi as the lower ranked girl apologised tearfully.

"What for?"

Toshiro also wondered that. Ayumi had done nothing at all.

"For crying…for not approaching you earlier…for…"

Toshiro rolled his eyes as Ayumi burst into tears again. Women. So troublesome…apologising for the smallest things and then ignoring the big ones.

"Stupid. I should be the one apologising…I was the one who left you behind, didn't I?"

Toshiro suddenly snapped to attention, his eyes widening as he stared at the two girls he had grown in Rukongai with. Momo…she had faked it? Just to get them to her? Ayumi was blinking as Momo smiled at her.

"Sorry for forgetting about you, A-chan…some things just clouded my judgement and I see that now…"

Toshiro didn't wait to hear more. He walked out of the room, into the darkened corridor outside, and faced Unohana Retsu with a glare.

"Did you know that she was faking?"

The gentlest taicho shook her head in negative.

"I did not. If I had, I probably would not have asked you to come."

Toshiro raised an eyebrow as he regarded the kind faced woman. Folding his arms across his chest, he gazed at her sceptically.

"Probably?"

He didn't like her smile. It was too innocent.

"Hinamori-fuku-taicho seemed to have wanted something important to say, to both you and Fujibayashi-san, and I wouldn't have wanted to get in the way of that."

Toshiro sighed. Women really were too troublesome.

"Hitsugaya-taicho…if you don't mind me saying…" Toshiro stared at the place where Unohana had moved from. "You should try talking to her…it really does not do for either of your health to be acting so rashly around each other."

He did not watch her go. Talking, huh?

"Easier said than done," he mumbled to himself, jumping slightly when Ayumi stuck her head out the door. 'Give me one more chance,' Toshiro thought. 'One more chance to make things right.'

"Hitsugaya-taicho, Momo-chan wants to talk to you."

Maybe talking wasn't so hard after all.

* * *

**Sorrrrrrryyyyyy it took so long. But, it's less emo now, and that makes me happy. Unfortunately…Aware is coming to an end…it won't have more than twenty two chapters, that's for sure. **


	20. Aware

**SORRY. ABOUT THE LATENESS. OMG, I WANNA KILL MYSELF FOR LETTING YOU GUYS DOWN! –cry- And….it's kinda like….the last chapter….I just wanna say thank you to all my reviewers;**

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**-cough- Anyways, thank you guys soooooooo much! Thanks for sticking with this awful, useless, inconsistent and completely out of character monstrosity that is this fic.

* * *

**

Toshiro stared at Ayumi as she shifted under his gaze. Even after all these years, she was still scared of him? Oh well. He nodded and made his way towards the door, and he frowned in confusion as she stepped out into the hall.

"You aren't…coming in?"

He was aware that his voice sounded more high pitched than usual and wanted to hit himself. Honestly, he was a _captain_, and he was afraid of talking to his childhood friend (albeit, childhood friend he had more than friendly feeling for).

He gulped as Ayumi shook her head in negative, and stumbled back into the room after receiving a push in the shoulders from the Eight Division seated member. He was also vaguely aware that she had slid the door shut.

Freak out time? Possibly. Let's consider the situation here. Earlier in the day, he told her that he was jealous, and might as well have proclaimed his love for her (even if the kissing thing probably gave her an inkling), she had just faked delirium to apologise to her friends that she had left behind, and now he was almost probably locked in a room with her.

Yes. Freak out time indeed.

"Shiro-chan…"

Oh crap, she was aware he was in the room. He had been hoping he had somehow become invisible in the past few seconds. She was gesturing for him to sit on the bed beside her. Toshiro briefly wondered if she was aware of what implications that could be taken as.

However, he complied. What else could he do?

"I want you to shut up for a minute, okay?"

Did she just tell him to shut up?

_Yes, you stupid boy. _

Hyourinmaru, I did not ask you. Shut up and go back to your inner world.

…

Toshiro was satisfied when he didn't hear another peep out of the dragon. He completely missed the beginning of Momo's important speech, however, and only began to pay attention now.

"…and I want to apologise for doubting you, because I realise now that you would never lie to me or do anything, and I've done some serious thinking…"

He nodded. That's what you did when a girl was talking, right? Nod when they took pause?

"And I realised that in the back of my mind that I knew Aizen had betrayed me…I just didn't want to believe it…and I know that now…that he wasn't the person I thought he was…he betrayed us all…and I'm not even sad about it, I'm furious…"

Toshiro couldn't believe his ears. Was she really saying all this? He might as well get up on the bed and do a funky dance like Matsumoto had taught him to do that day she put twenty spoonfuls of sugar in his tea to see if he could take a sugar high. He did.

However, those thoughts were shoved from his head when Momo started staring at him very seriously. He was about to speak, when she clamped a hand over his mouth.

"I told you to shut up for a minute."

He shut up. Well, Toshiro didn't really have a choice in the matter, did he? He nodded, and Momo's hand removed itself from the bottom half of his face, and he waited patiently as she fiddled with the bed sheets.

"Shiro-chan, I realised that somewhere along the way, I fell in love with you."

Okay…

HOLD IT. WHAT?!

She wasn't in love with Aizen? She loved him? What the hell was he doing, she had just told him she loved him, this was not a time to be doubting her.

"Shiro-cha-"

"Momo, for once, just shut up."

-

Ayumi smiled up at the Fourth Division captain as they peeked in through the sliding doors at the kissing couple. "Ne, Unohana-taicho, do we just leave them there?"

A bewildered look crossed her face as the captain gave her an uncharacteristic smirk.

"Fujibayashi-san, I'll let you in on a little secret…"

Ayumi raised an eyebrow.

"I write the gossip column for the Seireitei News."

With a flourish of her haori, she was gone, leaving a gaping Ayumi in her wake.

-

**the next day**

"TAAAAAIIIIIICHOOOOOOOO!"

Toshiro threw his covers up over his head as his fuku-taicho screamed for him, and he did not like that tone of glee. He groaned as she barged into his sleeping quarters, waving some magazine around.

"Taicho, look!"

Toshiro did a double take at the picture of him and Momo, and the headline _'Our favourite young love pairing finally comes true! Read page three for details! Exclusive interview with Unohana Retsu and Fujibayashi Ayumi, both at the scene!'_

"It's all over this week's Seireitei News!"

Toshiro just stared at Matsumoto in horror.

* * *

_**OWARI**_

**OMG, IT'S OVER. FTW! –wails- I HAD SO MUCH FUN WRITING IT, I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M DONE! –hugs all reader- I LOVE YOU GUYS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING THIS PIECE OF CRAP! **

**Ari, that little end bit was just for you. –smile- **


End file.
